June and the rest of the Handmaids shun Ofmatthew, and both are pushed to their limit at the hands of Aunt Lydia. Aunt Lydia reflects on her life and relationships before the rise of Gilead.
Tropes:
- Arc Words: Bordering on Bookends considering how the episode ends, but uttered by June at the opening of the episode when Janine complains about how cruel the other Handmaids are being to Ofmatthew...June: She got [someone] killed and she doesn't feel sorry about it.
- Disproportionate Retribution: In her flashback Lydia has Ryan taken away by child services after her tryst with the principal goes awry. Single mom Noelle only wanted to help Lydia with her personal life, and the principal does not approve. It is hinted that Lydia took this drastic step to get back at both of them: Noelle for having so many relationships so "easily," and the principal for not being ready to sleep with her.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: In her flashbacks, Lydia wears her long hair down and even curls it when she goes on her date with the principal. When she reports Noelle's mother to separate her from her son, she's tied her hair up in the Aunt style the audience is more familiar with.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: The flashbacks explore how Lydia went from an actually friendly teacher to the ruthless tyrant of today.
- Gone Horribly Right: June's torment of Ofmatthew after her betrayal leads to a rather gruesome outcome.
- Humiliation Conga: Ofmatthew.
- While Ofandy is giving birth, none of the handmaids give Ofmatthew any respect whatsoever. Brianna goes even further to spit in her drink.
- Then, while participating in the Circle of Shame against June, June rats out Ofmatthew for her concern about being pregnant, forcing Lydia to put Ofmatthew in the circle and for June and the other Handmaids to shame her.
- Finally, while still emotionally compromised, she catches June smirking at her while talking to Lydia, causing her to snap, beating down Janine, and then a Guardian, before grabbing a gun and trying to kill Lydia. She's shot by a Guardian before she can do anything else.
- Jerkass Has a Point: While it's obvious Lydia reports Ryan's mother Noelle to child protection services as some form of misplaced aggression, all of the reasons she gives to the social worker for the boy's removal are true and legally qualify as neglect. He's often unbathed, she leaves him at school hours after closing, she gives him potato chips as his whole lunch, etc.
- Misplaced Retribution: Lydia goes after the woman who gave her a makeover after her date asked to take things slow.
- Not Good with Rejection: Lydia towards the principal to whom she is attracted. Given that he was widowed three years prior, he isn't quite ready to reciprocate and that he wants to take this slow. Lydia does not take this well at all.
- Origins Episode: This is one of a sort for Lydia although it is speculated that we are not seeing the entire story with regards to Lydia's background.
- Parental Neglect: The young child in Aunt Lydia's flashbacks suffers from this. While his mother absolutely loves him very much, she can't provide adequate food for his lunches, leaves him at school without answering phone calls, and allows his hygiene to suffer. Lydia would be within her rights (and legally obligated, as teachers are mandatory reporters) to remand him into state custody if this behavior was ongoing and unchanging.
- Pet the Dog: Lydia's flashbacks show that she truly cares for Ryan and to some extent, Noelle as she invites them over for Christmas Dinner.
- Pregnant Badass: Ofmatthew overpowering a fully armed Guardian and taking his gun.
- Rage Breaking Point: Ofmatthew undergoes one after suffering torment from June and the other Handmaids for her betrayal. She snaps at Loaves and Fishes, beating up Janine then a Guardian who tries to stop her, grabs his gun and comes very close to killing Aunt Lydia before being shot herself.
- Soundtrack Dissonance: The shooting of Ofmatthew is followed by a jaunty rendition of "Que Sera Sera" in the credits.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome:
- There is a reason why homebirths are considered to be risky, especially without the proper medical equipment. Had such equipment been available, they would have seen that Ofandy's baby is in distress (with the cord wrapped around her neck) and that an emergency C-Section would have been ordered. So much for Gilead valuing the birth of a child.
- Constant bullying can lead to a huge backlash, especially if the person being bullied is already emotionally compromised.
- You Called Me "X"; It Must Be Serious: Lydia can be heard calling Ofmatthew "Natalie" when it seems like the latter is about to gun her down.
